$23 per hour????????? Wow! That's so cheap! I've never done travel nursing but I know a lot of travel nurses from work and they get paid at least $50-60 per hour...You might need to research more and maybe find another company........just my penny!

Aug 11, '06

Average for med surg is $26/hr plus housing. housing stipend is 1000/month and taxable unless you meet requirements for tax free housing stipend. The travel company gets $50-55/hr for med surg RN. I know this for a fact as at my las thospital where I was employed for 10 yrs I knew the staffing person and when I was considering travel I asked how much the hospital was paying the company for the travel RNs I was working with. The travel nurses were making $26 on days and the hosp was paying the company about $52/hr for the RN. Sometimes you can find a hosp that will write you your own seasonal contract. NCH in naples ,fl has seasonal contracts and provide seasonal employment with housing.. Look at their website. However if you go as a travel RN you must passs PBDS or you will be told to leave. It is not the same for seasonal or full time RNs. Be sure to ask about PBDS anywhere you go.I worked a contract in Stanford,CT in 1990 . I made the contract independently and was provided hospital housing . They saved a LOT OS $$ by not paying a company and I made out pretty well. The nurses there were the nicest also.

Aug 11, '06

sorry ...thats the average here in fl.... usually 26 for med surg

Last edit by mojofla on Aug 16, '06

Aug 11, '06

Don't take that unless you just really want to go that location (really bad). You can make alot more money somewhere else. Also, I wouldn't go through the hassel and stress of the PBDS for $23/hr.

Aug 12, '06

I have heard Fl is low paying too but $ 23 sounds terrible.

What are your credentials? What company?

Aug 13, '06

We went to west palm beach in Jan 06..................wife received $25.00 per hour + housing. No overtime at all!! Good side Wonderful weather and area!! We lived 4 miles from Jupiter Fl. I am a Cardinal fan so I went to spring training regularly.

This however was the least amount she has ever made. However only been traveling for 18 months.

Aug 13, '06

It depends where in Florida you go. You have to consider the housing stipend and the travel expenses.

To us non-travelers $23.00/hour without having to pay rent or mortgage payments sounds pretty good. Housing costs have skyrocketed in Florida the last few years.

Aug 15, '06

Quote from Tweety

It depends where in Florida you go. You have to consider the housing stipend and the travel expenses.

To us non-travelers $23.00/hour without having to pay rent or mortgage payments sounds pretty good. Housing costs have skyrocketed in Florida the last few years.

Most travelers however are still paying a mortgage or maintaining a home at their home state.

Aug 15, '06

PBDS, what is this? sorry to hijack thread momentarily.

Aug 16, '06

gonzo1 type PBDS in search. There are a couple of threads with links you can go to.
good luck

Aug 24, '06

I'm currently on assignment in Florida....though not in a hospital. But it has been a very difficult assignment to say the least. I worked with another RN who took an ICU travel assignment to Florida because her boyfriend was going to be stationed out here for six months. She said it was horrific...as a matter of fact...she walked out of her assignment (and she has a lot of experience as an ICU RN)....and waited tables while she was here....as she said it wasn't safe! I don't know which hospital she went too...but she stated that she had to take three very critical/unstable ICU patients at the same time. That says a lot. It also took me over a month to get my Florida nursing license at the cost of $200 for the application plus approximately another $100 for all the license verifications to all the other states I've held a license in. Plus I now have to complete 24 credit hours of continuing education for this license. The assignment I'm on is in hemodialysis....and I walked into a very unsafe clinic....and about walked out on my contract after the first two weeks (which is a first...as I know we work harder as travelers...but when it comes to patient safety and my RN license I won't compromise). Unless you really wish to visit Florida I might re-think think things a bit. Just my experience. Plus....the wages are terrible here...and that is too cheap to travel on in my opinion. I'd check out other agencies. Good luck. Has anyone had a positive experience in Florida? Or are most all bad...such as I've experienced?

Aug 30, '06

I don't know about FL??? I am trying to find out about Birmingham, Alabama. Has anyone worked there? If so can you give me the scoop on the hospitals and an idea of what is a fair rate for travel? Graduating soon and want to travel, maybe.